Safety razor



Dec. 22, 1936. f A. s. CARLSON SAFETY RAZOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 27, 1934 Irwell/02 0f/5022 @Wwmm Dec. 22, 1936. A s, CARLSON I A 2,064,884

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Nov. 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 69 A `Y Zd ,P41-K5@ ffii/@afar @AW mi )7l-Mw Patented Dec. 22, 1936 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Axel S. Carlson, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Concetta L. Blue, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 27, 1934, Serial No. 754,969

12 Claims. (C1. Sli- 61) My invention relates to a type of safety raioi head of the stem to release the clamping plate to in which there is a fixed support and a hinged permit its hinging movement.

clamping plate between which the razor blade Another feature of my invention relates to the may be clamped and held. 'Such type is illusconstruction for giving a tension on the stem to trated in my patent application for Safety Raor tightly engage the clamping plate and thus hold Holder, led Qctober 15, 1934, Serial No. 748,371, theblade in operative position. In this construcniatiired into Patent No. 2,024,626, dated lvec 17, tieni use a rotatable knob which is threaded in 1935. the handle of the razor, preferably by fine, left My invention also embodies thefeature of the hand threads, and in this knob the stem is clamping plate being turned on its hinge by' a threaded, using coarse pitch threads, preferably 10 rack and pinion andthe pressure for clamping right hand, and in order to maintain a positive the blades is done by a stem which rotates friction of the coarse threads a compression through a quarter turn to engage yand free the spring in the base of the knob always exerts a.

y hinged clamping plate. Such construction per= pressure on the end of the stem. Thus, by rotat- 19 taint to a type Vset forth in my patent application ing' the knob an initial action to loosen the pres- 15 for Hinged Clamp safety Razor Holder, filed Jansure of the head on the clamping plate may be uary 3, 1934, Serial No. 705,081, matured into obtained and then, due to the friction action of Patent No. 2,008,681 dated July 23, 1,935. the coarse threaded stem the stein may be turned One of the main objects and features of my a quarter turn and then moved longitudinally 20 present invention is that the clamping plate may when the pin on the stem engages in the longi- 2o be rotated on its hinge by the operator moving tudinal section of the slot of the sleeve. such clamping plate with the lingers independ- A further detailed feature of my invention reently of a movement of the rack developed by a lates to a type of slip construction in connecting longitudinally movable stem and a wedge block. the arms of the clamping plate to accommodate This is accomplished by having a lost motion beblades of different thickness. And another de- 25 tween the rack and the wedge block due to the tailed feature relates to a stop limit on the arm employment of a spring which bears on one porof the clamping plate which limits the movement tion of the rack bar and at its opposite end enof this to an open position and this prevents an gages a floating abutment block which contacts operator breaking any of the parts of the razor the stem and the wedge block which reciprocates in Opening and Closing the Clamping Plate by 30 with the stein. Therefore, in opening the clamphand. ing plate this can be tilted upwardly after rotat- Another feature is in the construction of the ing the stem one quarter turn to loosen the head blade and its mounting, the blade being double` and then the movement of the rack allows an edged, provided with a longitudinal slot with a extension of the spring, the spring urging the central enlarged opening through which the stem 35 rack bar in its movement of opening the clarnpextends and with two guide slots adjacent each ing plate. In the movement of closing the clampcutting edge through which guide plates or ing plate to engage a, blade the rack bar comdowels extend. The opposite ends of the blade presses the spring but this may be done without have tongues which extend through Openings 0r e, positive Wedgtng movement of the Wedge bloek, notches formed in the end structure of the sup- 40 Another object and feature of my invention is porting plate 0f the razor' Thus by elgaging in giving a positive one quarter turn to the Stem these tongues the blades may be readily inserted to turn the head of such stem and this is done in or Izemovef frfmf the Suppqmng plate.' h by having an L Shaped guide groove Guten a My invention is illustrated in connection wit i) the accompanying drawings, in which: sleeve, the sleeve being inserted 1n the handle of Fig 1 is a Side elevation with a han d1 e partly the. razor and .the s tem 1s provlded Wlth a pm broken away showing the razor in its closed and which engages n.1 thls Slot one am of the Slot operative position with the stem head in the extends longitudinally of the sleeve and the other Clamping position .50 arm circumferentially. Therefore, itis necessary Fig. 2 is an elevation Similar to Fig 1 but with 5o when the head is in clamping position and in the the Clamping plate in its open position, the Stem circumferential slot to give the stem a quarter head being rotated and the Stem elevated, turn beforethe pin can travel in the longitudinal Fig, 3 is a Section on the line 3 3 of Fig, 2 in arm of the slot. This accommodates both the the direction of the arrows, the hinge construcmit/ifm@ and the longitudine-1 rmOVement .of 12.1.1? .ZQIJ pf the Clamping plate being omitted. i r A55 Fig. 41s a section similar to Fig. 3 with the blade removed and showing the upper surface of the clamping plate.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the handle, the supporting and clamping plates, with the clamping plate in the open position; this section may be considered as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6 with the clamping plate open.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation taken on the arrow 6 of Fig. 1 illustrating part of the hinge. l

Fig. '1 is a transverse section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a plan taken in the direction of the 'arrow 8 of Fig. 1 with the razor in operative position.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective of the wedge block on the stem.

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective of the guide sleeve.

In my invention I employ a tubular handle I I, to which is connected a supporting plate I2 and hinged to one end of the supporting plate there is a clamping plate I3. VThese plates clamp the blade I 4 in position for shaving.

The stem,v designated I5', has a lower section I5 with coarse screw threads I1 thereon, these beingpreferably right hand. The stem has a. re'- trictedneck.v I8 made by having a tongue I9 which Vis inserted inwa, socket 28 in the upper end of the section I 6. This. end is held by a pin 2I (note Fig.- 5). lThus there is a shoulder 22 on the end I6 and a shoulder 23 at the other end of the neck. 'I-'he upper end portion 24 of the stem extends through a perforation 25 in the clamping plate and has a head 28 at its upper end. Thisphead is formed oblongin shape, the long measurement 21 (note Fig. 6) being greater than the width of the slot 28 (note Fig.. 8) in the clamping plate through which the stem extends. The narrow measurement of the head is less than the width of the slot 28 to allow the head when turned to pass tliroughy this slot in the manner hereinunder detailed. .Y Y

The threaded endl1`of the stem threaded with coarserthreads 30 in the knob 3 I. This knob has a vne threaded section 32 engaging the internal threads on the lower end of the tubular handle. These threads are preferably left hand.

The outside vof the knob -is knurled as indicated at I33. In axial alignment with the threads 3!! there is a compression spring 34 which bears on the bottom of the threaded socket 35 in the knob and this compression spring always maintains a friction yaction between the coarse threads I1 of the' stem and the coarse threads 30 of the knob.

-A'guide' sleeve 40 is secured in the upper portion of the handle and this has an L-shaped guide slot V4I therein, the slot having a -longitudinal arm 42 and a circumferential arm 43 (-note Figs. 1 and A10)the pin 2I 'on the stemextending intothis L-sha'ped slot. The circumferential arm 43 is Wider in a longitudinal direction than the diameter of the lpin 2-I to permit a longitudinal movement of the stem when the pin is engaged at the portion 43 yof the slot 4I.

A rivet 44 through the sleeve and the tubular handle II 'retains the sleeve in position.` The sleeve also -has longitudinal slots r45 which engage splines 46 on a wedge vblock 41. This block is rotatably mounted on the neck portion I9 of the stem between the shoulders 22 and 2'3 andhas a wedg-ing Vhead 48 at Vits upper end with a wedgeshaped fsurface 49 on one-side and a non-wedging pending ears 56 (note Fig. 6), these being located at one end. Through these ears extends the hinge pintle 51, this having a pinion 58 at the center and flattened end strips 59. The main block 68 of the clamping plate is provided with a pair of arms 6I at right angles thereto and these arms each have a longitudinal slot 62 through which extends the flattenedY end 59 of the pintle. The slot is longer than the flattened end so that when the clamping plate is in the clamped position of Fig. 1 it may have a slight movement in the axial direction of the handle to accommodate thick or 'Y thin Vblades and to permit the clamping action. One of the arms has a stop finger 93 which, when the clamping plate is in the open position of f Fig. 2, engages the under side of the supportingA plate and thus limits the opening movement.

The pinion 58 is rotated by movement of the rack bar designated by the assembly numeral 55. This has a thick section 66 which slides in guides on the under surface of the base 55 of the supporting plate and operates through slots 61 in the upper end of the handle. The rear end of the rack bar has a we dge 68 which co-acts with the wedge surface 49 of the wedge block. A reduced end 69 of the rack bar has rack teeth 10 engaging the pinion 58 and guides between the ears 56. The rack bar has a hollowed space 1I and perforations 12 at the end of this space and in these perforations slides the floating abutment block 13, this having a rounded end 14 (note Fig. 5) to engage the longitudinal non-wedging surface 58 of the wedge block. AttachedY to the abutment block there is a guidey rod 15, which has its end operating in a guide socket 16 in the thick section of the rack bar. A compression spring 11 is coiled on this rod and bears against abutment surface 18 at the end of the space 1I and on the shoulder 19 on the abutment block 13.

The blade I4 has parallel cutting edgesv 85 and tongues 86 at each end. From the tongues there are right angular ends 81. The vcenter of the blade is provided with a slot 88 extending longitudinally, this slot having a central enlargement 89 to accommodate the upper portion 24 of the stern. A pair of short parallel slots 98 accommodate the guide pins 9i vsecured to the supporting plate I2. Y

The features of the supporting plate to accommodate the blade Vare transverse ribs 92 which terminate at 93 outside of the marginal edges 94 of the supporting plate I2. Extending upwardly from veach rib there is a thin fin 95 on which the blade is supported. This construction leaves a series of dep-ressions 96 between the ribs and the fins. .A comb' or guard 91 has teeth 98 (note Fig. 1) which are molded in the body structure of the supporting plate and curve upwardly in alignment with the ribs 92. These teeth extend beyond the edge 94 of the supporting plate l2. At ,each end of the supporting plate there are lupwardlyextending shoulders 99 with a space |88 therebetween. `Such space accommodates the tongues of the blade and the shoulders 99 engage the ends 8.1 of the blade. Thus the blade is held from longitudinal movement on the supporting plate. The cutting edges of the blade extend beyond ns and .thus overlap the comb or guard teeth 98.

The clamping plate has a series of transverse ribs IUI which have lateral extensions |92 which extend slightly beyond the marginal edges .|03 of The kmanner of operation and functioning of my invention is as follows:

Presuming the clamping plate is in the open position of Fig. 2, then the fingers 63 on the arm 6| engage the under side of the supporting plate and prevent further opening movement of this clamping plate. A blade may then be inserted on the supporting plate I2. In this position the wedge block Ill is in its uppermost position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and the rack bar is moved to its extreme position to the right, having reference to these gures. The head of the stern is also positioned longitudinally of the slot 28 so that the blade may be readily inserted over its head and in the closing movement of the clamping plate the head passes through the slot in such clamping plate. The clamping plate may then be manually rotated by engagement with the fingers until it occupies the position shown in Fig. 1, in which case the rack bar 65 will be moved to the left but as no movement yet has been given to the wedge block the spring II becomes compressed. In order to clamp the blade it is necessary to lower the head 26 on the stem. This is done by rotating the knob 3|. On account of the course threads I'I on the stem the pin 2| is lowered in the longitudinal branch 42 of the L-shaped slot 4|. Then when this pin aligns with the circumferential arm 43 of this slot the pin 2| may be shifted to one side, thus rotating the stem a quarter turn. The continued rotation of the knob 3| by the threading action in the threads 32 exerts a tension or pull on the stem, thus bringing pressure to bear on the upper surface of the clamping plate and thereby securely holding the blade between the two plates I2 and I3.

In this action of lowering the stem the wedge block 46 has been lowered, the stem being free to rotate in this block, the block being guided in a rectilinear motion. The block, if desired, may be lowered until its wedge 43 is completely below the wedging portion 68 of the rack bar. However, if the clamping plate has not been swung on its hinge by the operator it may be moved by the rotation oi the knob 3|, in which case the wedging portion 48 of the wedge block 41 acts on the wedging portion 68 of the rack bar and moves this rack bar to the left, (with reference to Fig. 5), which action rotates the pinion 5B and thus swings the clamping plate I3 on its hinge. When the head 26 of the stem engages the upper surface of the clamping plate it may cause a slight movement of pintle ends 59 in the slot 62 to accommodate blades of diierent thicknesses and to aiord a tight clamping action.

In order to open the clamping plate I 3 from the closed position of Fig. 1 it is necessary to rotate the knob 3| in a reverse direction to that above described. The rst action of this is to relieve the pressure between the head 26 and the clamping plate. The next action, on account of the friction between the screw I'I and the knob, is to rotate the pin 2| with the stem a quarter turn to bring this pin into alignment with the longitudinal portio-n 42 of the L-shaped slot 4|. A further'rotation of the knob elevates the pin 2| and thus raises the knob 26 which has been rotated to align with the slot 28.

As soon as the head or knob 26 on the end of the stern has been aligned with the slot 28 in the clamping plate I3 this plate may be raised by hand, which action, on account of the constant mesh of the pinion 58 and the rack 10, will tend to move the rack bar 65 to the right, having reference to Fig. 5, but such rack bar cannot be moved its full distance until the wedge block 41 has been moved upwardly on account of the Contact between the wedging portion 48 of the block and the wedging end 68 of the rack. The wedging block is elevated by rotating the `knob 3| in a left hand direction if it has left .hand threads, this being in the direction of the arrow |65 of Fig. 1, which turns the stem I5 in the reverse direction of the arrow |66 of Fig. 1. In this movement the oating abutment block 73 `rides from the position in which it rests on the upper portion 24 of the stem as shown in Fig. 1v to the position resting on the surface 5|) of the wedging block. Instead of raising the clamping plate I3 by the fingers this may be done entirely by rotation cf the knob 3| in the manner above described, in which case the reaction of the compression spring 'II thrusts the rack bar 65 to the right, having reference to Fig. 5, and this opens the clamping plateto the position of Fig. 5, that is, until the nger 63 on the arm 6| contacts with the under side of the supporting plate I2 and the wedging portion 48 of the wedge block. But, manifestly, it is necessary to rst relieve the pressure of the head 26 of the stem on the clamping plate and then rotate this head into alignment with the slot 28.

It will, therefore, be seen that the clamping plate I3 may be moved from an open to a closed position by manually swinging this on its hinge and then subsequently while it is held in its closed position moving the wedge block and the head of the stem by rotating the knob 3| in an unscrewing action as regards the handle. But before the clamping plate can be opened, that is, from its clamped to its open position, the head 26 of the stem must be turned one-quarter turn to align with the stem 28. The wedge block must be moved to its upper position.

The compression spring 1I, thus, on account of its resiliency, gives a smooth and a quick action to the opening of the clamping plate. The arrow |66, (Fig. l) indicates the direction of rotation of the stern |65 when the pin 2| is moved horizontally in the transverse arm 43 of the slot 4I from its position when in alignment with the longitudinal arm 42 of the slot.

The'guide block 41 is provided with a side surface 49 parallel to the stem, this being above lthe wedge surface portion 49. This engages a complementary surface 68 at the upper part of the wedge portion 68 of the rack bar 65. This prevents the clamping plate from rising under the influence of the spring Il before the stem has been given a full one-quarter turn, for when the wedge block 4l is lowered the edge 49 contacts with the lower corner of the wedge portion Q3 of the rack bar.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention as claimed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety razor having a handle, a supportporting plate connected thereto, a clamping plate hinged to the supporting plate and having a pinion on the hinge, a rack bar slidably mounted on the supporting plate, a stem extending through the handle and having an elongated head on the end, the clamping plate having a slot through which the head may pass, the head being longer than the width of the slot, a spring, said rack being operative on movement of the clamping plate from its open to its closed position by en- :gagingsuch plate to /compressthe spring, means in the handle lto longitudinally move the head of the stemand to rotate the stem to clamp said clamping plate in .its operative closed position.

2 In ,a safety razor as claimed in claim 1, -a wedge block mounted on the stem, an interactving meansrbetween the wedge block and the rack to positively move the rack to swing the clamping plate from its open to its closed position independently of this plate being moved by hand, the movement of the wedge block and stem in .the opposite direction being adapted to free the `rack fer .an opening movement, .and said spring urging said rack in its vmovement to swing the clamping plate from its closed to its open position.

:3. In a safety razor having a supporting plate, -a handle connected thereto at right angles, a clampingplate .having arms, a hinged connection between the arms and the supporting plate havinga pinion, a rack bar slidably mounted on the .supporting plate having teeth meshing with the 'inio'm said-rack having a hollow space, the supporting plate having a perforation and the rclamping .plate .having a long slot, a stem extending through said perforation and slot, said stem having a head of greater length than the width of the slot, means to operate said stem to rotate the stem a quarter turn Vand toi move the stem longitudinally to engage the clamping plate by said head, a spring mounted in the hollow space of the rack and compressible against vthe stern in moving the clamping plate from its open to its closed position.

4. In a safety razor as claimed in' claim 3, the stem having a rack bar engaging means rotatably mounted on said stem and longitudinally movable with said stem, the rack bar having a complementary engaging means whereby a longitudinal movement of the stern and its engaging meansin one direction operates to positively shift lthe rack bar to swing the clamping plate from its open to its closed position, but the movement of thel stem in the opposite direction being inoperative to positively move the rack bar.

5. In a safety razor as claimed in claim 13, said spring being adapted, after a longitudinal and rotating movement of the stem, to release the vclamping plate to shift the rack bar Vand hence actuate the pinion to swing the clamping plate from its closed to its open position.

6. In a safety razor as claimed in claim 3, a

guide means to eifect rotation of the stem comprising a structure having an L-shaped slot connected to the handle, one arm of the slot being longitudinal and the other arm circumferential, and a pin secured to the stem operating in said slot.

7. In a safety razor as claimed in claim 3, the means to move the stem comprising a knob having a threaded connection to the handle by ne threads, the stern being threaded in the knob with coarse pitch threads, the threads between the knob and the handle and the threads between the stem and the knob being inclined at an opposite direction.

8. In a safety razor having a supporting plate, a tubular handle connected thereto, a clamping plate having arms, a hinged connection between said arms and the supporting plate including a pintle having a pinion, a rack bar slidably mounted on the vsupporting plate and operating through slots in the handle', said rack bar having rack teeth engaging vvthe pinion .and having a hollow space, an abutment block having a guide rod operating in a guide socket in the rack bar, a coiled compression spring bearing against one portion of the rack bar and the abutment block, the supporting plate having a perforation, theclamping plate having an elongated slot, a longitudinally moveable stem in the handle extending through the perforation in the supporting plate and having a head to pass through the slot of the clamping plate, the head being longer than the width of the slot, a knob rotatably mounted on the end of the handle, an interconnection between the knob and the stem to longitudinally move the stem on rotation of the knob, a positive guide means operating between the handle and the stem to rotate the stem a quarter turn on its longitudinal movement, the abutment block being adapted to engage the stem whereby on movement of the clamping plate `from its open to its closed position said spring is compressed.

9. In aV safety razor as claimed in claim 8, an interconnecting means between-the stem and the rack bar to rotate the pinionV and swing the clamping plate from its open to its closed position, said spring being operative on release-of the clamping plate by the `head of the stem to move' the rack bar and thereby rotate the pinion to swing the clamping plate from its closed to its open position. Y

10. In a safety razor as claimed in claim 8, the rotatable connection of the knob to the handle comprising threads of fine pitch between the handle and the knob, the stem and-the knob having a threaded connection with coarse threads, a spring in the knob bearing against the end of theV stem, the threads between the knob and the handle` and between the knob and the stem being inclined in opposite directions.

l1. In a safety razor having a supporting plate having a perforation, a clamping plate having a slot, a stem extendingY through said perforation and having a head to extend through said slot,

the head being wider than the width of the slot, Y

a tubular handle connected to the supporting plate, a guidek means therein having an L-shaped slot with one arm extending longitudinally and the other transversely as to the axis of the handle, a pin on the stem extending into Asaid slot, and

means operatively connected to the handle and to Y the stem to rotate the stem and to move the stem longitudinally.

l2; In a safety razor, a supporting plate, aV

clamping plate having a pair of arms, a hinge` connecting said arms to the supporting plate,

said hinge having a pintle with a fixed axis, means forming a slip connection between the arms and the pintle, means to rotate the pintle to swing 'the clamping plate from its open to a position parallel to the supporting plate, and means to move the clamping plate in a direction at right angles to the plane of the supporting plate to accommodate blades of varying thickness and to positively clamp the blades between the supporting and the clamping plate, the means to rotate 

